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The Ocean Cleanup is dedicated to removing plastic from the world's oceans. It's a formidable task: National Geographic estimates that 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic, the equivalent of 269,000 tons, float on the ocean's surface. Kia is heavily invested in the effort. Since 2022, the carmaker has partnered with The Ocean Cleanup through a variety of methods, helping the organization scale and accelerate cleanup operations. The first three years of the program have been mostly focused on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a large collection of plastics in the Northern Pacific Ocean.
"Following the global relaunch of the Kia brand in 2021, and the ensuing announcement of our sustainability movement and carbon neutrality goals, we at Kia global HQ sought to proactively extend our approach to helping ensure a sustainable planet beyond the ongoing innovation of Kia products, services and value chain," Charles (Chang-Seung) Ryu, senior vice president and head of the global brand and CX Division, Kia Corp., told Newsweek.
"The Ocean Cleanup caught our attention due to their bold, clear mission of ridding the world's oceans of plastic through the deployment of cutting-edge technologies. It became clear quite early on that The Ocean Cleanup's overarching mission and innovation-driven solutions aligned well with our own commitment to providing sustainable mobility solutions that have a measurable impact on society," he said.
Kia's efforts to support The Ocean Cleanup go beyond supplying money. The automaker is working to find ways to integrate the recovered plastic into Kia's value chain. The company also is providing in-kind resources such as materials, research findings, knowledge and consulting and logistical and mobility support, where needed and possible.
"What truly cemented our belief in the potential of this partnership was a strong shared vision for creating a circular resource system for extracted ocean plastic, making this a partnership that goes far beyond simply providing financial support in exchange for brand association and exposure. By melding the resources and expertise of both The Ocean Cleanup and Kia teams, we believed that we could achieve unprecedented innovations in the field of ocean plastic recycling, namely, repurposing collected plastic waste into durable consumer products," Ryu said.
So far, The Ocean Cleanup has removed over 44 million pounds of trash from the world's oceans and rivers, some of which had been there since the 1960s.
"Together with our partner Kia, we provide proof that recycled plastic can be used sustainably. I hope that we can inspire others to do the same," Boyan Slat, founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup told Newsweek.
"In order to achieve the ultimate mission, we at Kia believe it's hugely important to educate as many people around the world as possible. That's why we continue to build awareness about the severity of the problem as well as The Ocean Cleanup's real-world solutions that are making a tangible difference," Ryu said. "At the core of the partnership lies the spirit of inclusion, and everyone is encouraged to join and be part of the 'Largest Cleanup in History.'"
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